Chapter 6
IN SUNNY SPAIN, 1882-85
“My country, my love, my people, I leave you now, you disappear, I lose sight of you”
- Jose Rizal
Secret Departure for Spain
• Rizal’s departure for Spain was kept secret in order to avoid detection by the colonial officials
and friars.
• Only Uncle Antonio Rivera, Paciano and his sisters, and some close friends knew.
• To outwit the Spanish authorities, he went to Calamba ostensibly to attend the town fiesta.
• On May 1, 1882, he left Calamba, reaching Manila after 10 hours of travel.
• He book a passage on the Salvadora and wrote farewell letters to his family and friends.
• At Sunrise of May 3, 1882 – embarkation date – he boarded the Salvadora.
• Some close friends, including Chengoy (Jose M. Cecilio), were on hand to see him off.
Singapore
• After 5 days of sailing, the Salvador reached the English colony of Singapore.
• For the first time, Rizal saw Singapore and was impressed by its progress and beautiful sights.
• Rizal stayed at Hotel de Paz during the two days of his stop-over in Singapore.
First Trip to Suez Canal
• In Singapore, Rizal boarded the Djemnah, a French steamer, which was sailing to Europe.
• A week after leaving Singapore, the steamer reached Point de Galle.
• In the morning of May 18, voyage was resumed, and in the afternoon of the same day the steamer
docked at Colombo, Ceylon.
• From Colombo the steamer crossed the Indian Ocean to Café Guardafui in Africa.
• On May 28, he saw for the first time the coast of Africa.
• On June 2, he arrived at the city of Suez, the Red Sea terminal of the Suez Canal.
• It took the Djemnah 5 days to traverse the Suez Canal.
Naples and Marseilles
• On June 11, Rizal reached Naples.
• On the night of June 12, the steamer docked at the French harbor of Marseilles. He visited famous
places of the city, particularlt Chateau d’If, where Dantes, hero of The Count of Monte Cristo, was
imprisoned.
• He stayed three days in Marseilles.
Barcelona
• At Marseilles, Rizal took the train for the last lap of his trip to Spain.
• Rizal reached his destination – Barcelona – in the beginning of the summer of 1882.
• Rizal’s first impression of Barcelona was unfavorable. Later, he changed his bad impression and
came to like the city.
“Amor Patrio”
• In Barcelona, Rizal wrote a nationalistic essay entitled Amor Patrio (Love of Country), his first
article written on Spain’s soil.
• He sent this article to his friend in Manila, Basilio Teodoro, who was a member of the editorial
staff of the Diaryong Tagalog.
• August 20, 1882 – Rizal’s Amor Patrio, under his pen name Laong Laan, appeared in print in
Diaryong Tagalog.
• It was published in two texts – Spanish and Tagalog.
• The Spanish text was the one originally written by Rizal in Barcelona.
• The Tagalog text was a Tagalog translation made by M. H. del Pilar.
• Francisco Calvo, congratulated Rizal and requested him for some more articles.
• Rizal wrote his second article for Diaryong Tagalog entitled Los Viajes (Travels).
• His third article, entitled Revista de Madrid (Review of Madrid), which he wrote in Madrid on
November 29, 1882, was returned to him because the Diaryong Tagalog has ceased publication.
Rizal Moves to Madrid
• While sojourning in Barcelona, Rizal received sad news about the cholera that was ravaging
Manila and the provinces.
• A letter that was dated May 26, 1882, Paciano advised his younger brother to finish the medical
course in Madrid.
• Rizal left Barcelona in the fall of 1882 and establish himself in Madrid.
Life in Madrid
• On Novmber 3, 1882 – Rizal enrolled in the Universidad Central de Madrid (Central University
of Madrid) in two courses – Medicine and Philosophy and Letters.
• He studied painting and sculpture in the Academy of San Carlos and took lessons in French,
German and English under a private instructor.
• He practiced fencing and shooting in the Hall of Arms of Sanz y Carbonnell.
• Rizal led a Spartan life in Madrid. Accordingly, he strictly budgeted his money and time. His only
extravagance was the Spanish lottery.
Romance with Consuelo Ortega y Rey
• Rizal used to visit the home of Don Pablo Ortega y Rey and he and other Filipino students played
parlor games with his two daughters, Pilar and Consuelo.
• Consuelo loved Rizal. Rizal really almost lost his heart to the pretty Madrileña.
• On August 22, 1883 – Rizal wrote a lovely poem entitled A La Señorita C.O. y R.
• Rizal did not allow the romance to go on for two reasons:
(1) he was still engaged to Leonor Rivera
(2) Eduardo de Lete, his friend, was deeply in love with Consuelo.
• In the summer of 1883 he made a quick trip to Paris in order to forget Consuelo.
“They Asked Me For Verses”
• In 1882, shortly after his arrival in Madrid, Rizal Joined the Circulo Hispano-Filipino
(Hispano-Philippine Circle), a society of Spaniards and Filipino.
• Upon the request of the members, he wrote a poem entitled Me Piden Versos (They Asked
Me For Verses).
Rizal as Lover of Books
• Rizal economized his living expenses, and with that money he saved, he purchased books from a
second-hand bookstore owned by Señor Roses.
• He was able to build up a fair-sized private library. His collection of books included The Bible,
Hebrew Grammar, Lives of the Presidents of the United States from Washington to Johnson,
Complete Works of Voltaire (9 Volumes), Complete Works of Horace (3 Volumes), Complete
Works of C. Bernard (16 Volumes), History of the French Revolution, The Wandering Jew by
Eugene Sue, Ancient Poetry, Works of Thucydides, The Byzantine Empire, The Characters of La
Bruyere, The Renaissance, Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, Works of Alexander
Dumas, Louis XIV and His Court, and numerous books on medicine philosophy, languages, history,
geography arts and sciences.
• Rizal was deeply affected by Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Eugene Sue’s The
Wandering Jew.
Rizal Becomes a Mason
• In Spain, Rizal, being young and lonely in foreign country, was easily impressed by the way the
prominent Spanish Masons loudly and freely attacked the government and the Church.
• His friends who were Masons persuaded him to join Masonry. In 1883, he joined the Masonic
Lodge Acacia in Madrid. His Masonic name was “Dimasalang”.
• Two reasons why Rizal became a Mason:
(1) the bad friars in the Philippines, by their abuses unworthy of their priestly habit or calling, drove
Rizal to desperation and Masonry
(2) he needed the help of the Masons to fight the bad friars in the Philippines
• November 15, 1890 – Rizal became a Master Mason in Lodge Solidaridad.
• February 15, 1892 – he became a Master Mason of Le Grand Orient France in Paris.
Financial Worries
• Due to hard times in Calamba, the regular monthly allowance of Rizal in Madrid decreased and at
times, no allowance arrived.
• Paciano had to sell Rizal’s pony to send money in Madrid.
• Several times, Rizal earned money by working as a private tutor to rich kids.
• A touching incident in Rizal’s life occurred on June 25, 1884. In the morning of that date, he won
a prize in Greek. And in the evening of the same date, he delivered a splendid speech at a banquet
honoring two Filipino titans of the brush – Juan Luna and Felix R. Hidalgo.
Rizal’s Salute to Luna and Hidalgo
• At the National Exposition of Fine Arts in Madrid in 1884, both Luna and Hidalgo won signal
honors for their country.
• Luna’s canvas “Spoliarium” won first prize.
• Hidalgo’s “Christian Virgins Exposed to the Populace” was awarded second prize.
• Rizal was invited to give the principal speech
• Rizal, at the beginning of his speech, was nervous for he had never given an address in public
before but gradually gained confidence.
• He saluted Luna and Hidalgo as the two glories of Spain and Philippines, whose splendor united
both peoples.
• Somewhere in his speech, he sailed with refined sarcasm the bigotry and blindness of certain
unworthy Spaniards who could not comprehend the universality of genius.
Studies Completed in Spain
• Rizal completed his medical course in Spain.
• June 21, 1884 – he was awarded the degree of Licentiate in Medicine by the Universidad Central
Madrid.
• The next academic year (1884-85) – he studied and passed all subjects leading to the degree of
Doctor of Medicine.
• Due to the fact, however, that he did not present the thesis required for graduation nor paid the
corresponding fees, he was not awarded his Doctor’s diploma.
• Rizal also finished his studies in Philosophy and Letters, with higher grades.
• June 19, 1885 (His 24th birthday)-Rizal was awarded the degree of Licentiate in Philosophy and
Letters by the Universidad Central de Madrid with the rating of “Excellent” (Sobresaliente).
His scholastic records in medicine at the Universidad Central de Madrid are as follows.
Fifth Year (1882 - 83): Continuation of
Medical Courses in the University of Santo Tomas
Medical Clinic 1 ……………………………………………………… Good
Surgical Clinic 1 ……………………………………………………… Good
Obstetrical Clinic…. ……………………………………………………. Fair
Legal Medicine ………………………………………………….... Excellent
Sixth Year (1883 - 84)
Medical Clinic 2 …………………………………………………...…. Good
Surgical Clinic 2 ………………………………………………… Very Good
Licentiate in Medicine awarded on June 21, 1884 with the rating “Fair”
Doctorate (1884 - 85)
History of Medical Science …………………………………………….. Fair
Surgical Analysis ………………………………………………….….. Good
Normal Histology …………………………………………………. Excellent
Doctor of Medicine (Not awarded)
Scholastic records in Philosophy and Letters at the Universidad Central de Madrid are as follows.
1882 – 83
Universal History 1 …………………………….……………… Very Good
General Literature …………………………………………….…. Excellent
1883 – 84
Universal History 2 ……………….……………………………… Excellent
Greek and Latin Literature ………………………….. Excellent (with prize)
Greek 1 ……………………..……………………….. Excellent (with prize)
1884 – 85
Spanish Language …….…………………….. Excellent with a scholarship
Arabic Language ………………………….… Excellent with a scholarship
